At odds and ends
by biawutnow
Summary: Hinata, assigned on a very important mission to help team 7,is faced with a change of plans. And a change of heart. HinataxSasuke
1. Into the Forest

Ok guys, here it is! Finally, I had been wanting to do a fanfiction like this for a while...but I had never gotten around to actually writing it. Now before you shun this couple entirely (Sasuke and Hinata), just think about the possibilities. Sasuke has a very strong and, in my opinion, protective aura. Hinata has a weak presence and doesn't really have much purpose, but those around her always manage to inspire strong feelings inside of her. I think that the two would work out great as a couple, as they would be able to balance each other out. Will they hook up in the manga? Probably not, but if they did...I think they would have a great chemistry.

Anyway, enough with my rambling. Enjoy the fic!

* * *

Maybe it was the way his body pushed itself with such sheer force under seemingly hopeless conditions. Maybe it was the way his face contorted with determination as he surmounted the wall of sand before him. Whatever it was about Sasuke that day as he fought Gaara...Hinata found herself admiring him.

* * *

Sweat shone on the young Hyuuga's face as she assailed the punching bag with a new series of blows. The moon above provided little light for her as she went on with her training, and the trees began to seem menacing...but that didn't matter. Hinata still struggled on, never allowing herself to slacken her punches a bit. She was going to become strong, strong enough to do well on her next mission. 

Which was a little odd, because her feelings about the mission were beginning to become unclear. She was assigned to help tean 7 retrieve Sasuke. The village had received intelligence regarding his location, and so she was ordered to pack and be ready to leave by tommorow morning.

Hinata, although eager to help Naruto, was still feeling a little confused by the emotions welling up inside of her. On one hand, she was desperate to ease the suffering in Naruto and Sakura. Seeing them so miserable hurt her inside as well. But on the other hand...it almost seemed like she wanted to help because she wanted to find out more about Sasuke.

She had never fully understood why he had deserted his friends like he had. It seemed bizarre to her. Ever since the Chunin exams, when she had first watched Sasuke fight...she had really begun to look up to him. He reminded her of Naruto, in a lot of ways. She had watched team 7 grow closer over the years and noticed a side of Sasuke that was really amazing. He would risk his life to protect his friends, and in return his friends would support him. She wished she had that closeness with her teammates, but a bond had never really developed between the three.

Hinata suddenly gasped and took a step back from the punching bag. A shard pain in her side started to throb. She tried to ignore the pain, but found that it was too much. She pushed the hair back from her face, huffing a little as she tried to steady herself. She decided she would give herself a break...after all, she had been at it for three hours.

She found a spot next to a tree and quickly sat down. She pulled out a small water bottle from the satchel on her waist and drank a little. The night had gone quiet, only the distant sound of some birds could be heard.

It was there, lying against the tree, that he found her.

* * *

yay! First chapter done...well, maybe its more like an intro, but who cares!

Happy New Years everybody!


	2. An odd encounter

At this point, I know how I want their first encounter to go...but I'm not sure of what should come next. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share.

* * *

Hinata looked up, certain she had heard a twig snap nearby. She was too weak to activate her Byakuugan, so instead she tried to remain as still as possible. She tried to silence the breaths that were escaping out of her in quick huffs, and she clung to the tree behind her for support. 

All her attempts to conceal herself proved to be in vain. She felt a hand cover her mouth and another hand on her shoulder. Hinata wanted to scream but found herself unable to do so.

"Oh...its just you" Her captor said quietly. Hinata was a little startled, and she tried to put the voice with a face.

"I suppose you're not much of a threat"

The captor, who had been pulling Hinata towards himself, released her. As he stood up to walk away, the moonlight caught his face.

"Sa-Sasuke..." She said quietly.

"Ah." Was all he said in reply.

He began to steal himself away from her, but Hinata quickly objected.

"Sasuke- wait!" She called.

He turned his cold black eyes towards her, studying her. Hinata's breath hitched a little before she continued.

"Everybody's been extremely worried about you, especially Naruto kun!"

Sasuke smirked at her, which made her feel a little uneasy.

"When will you learn, Hinata? Feelings like love are wasted on an idiot like him."

Hinata blushed but continued onwards.

"What about Sakura? She has also been worried sick about you, will you really just leave her again?!"

Sasuke was caught off guard by that.

"Sakura...is also foolish like you, Hinata. She wastes her love on people like me" he said quietly.

"It isn't wasted, Sasuke" Hinata replied in a low voice.

Sasuke smiled a small, slightly sad smile.

"Thats what will always cause you two to get hurt. That loving instinct..."

Hinata gasped as Sasuke moved quickly in front of her. He brushed the hair out of her face and ever so softly placed his lips on hers.

"But these feelings will inhibit your growth...stop harboring these weaknesses"

And with that, Sasuke vanished.

Hinata stood shocked for a few moments. That was...unexpected. But regardless, she knew she had to tell team 7 about what had happened. And with that, she left the forest an headed for the village.

* * *

OK. So I know these chapters are short, but I'm kind of rushed right now. I promise the next one will be longer! 


	3. Protected

Sorry if that last chapter happened a little too quick for you guys, but hopefully this will explain things. Enjoy!

* * *

Flashback:

Hinata found herself standing alone on the battle field. On her left, Kiba was lying face down, completely unresponsive. On her right Naruto was also fading fast. Team 7 and 9 had been assigned to take out several rogue ninja from the Sound Village that had been attacking merchants coming in and out of Konohagakure. The teams had decided to split up, which proved to be a bad move. Now Hinata, the only member of her group remaining conscious was trying to stare down a steadily approaching opponent.

"It was really stupid of you guys to interfere. Look what happened to them" Her enemy said, shaking the blonde hair from her face and revealing a pair of menacing red eyes.

"Now its your turn" She said, moving towards Hinata.

Hinata quickly dropped into the Hyuuga fighting stance.

"I won't let you hurt them! Stay away!" She called.

Her enemy snickered and drew closer. Hinata charged and released the Byakuugan. Immediately Hinata and the rogue ninja were in it neck and neck, Hinata's strength already fading. Still, she would not allow herself to lose...not when her friends were relying on her.

"Give up already, brat" Hinata twisted her head around, surprised. Another ninja had snuck up on her from behind. Before she knew what was happening, her vision was fading, and her body was giving up.

* * *

It was then that Sasuke decided to intervene. He had been watching the fight from the distance, ordered by Orochimaru to see if the rogue ninja were worth joining their ranks. Apparently they weren't, in this case they had just had strength in numbers.

"Cowards" He sneered, disgust written all over his face.

He had seen the worry in Hinata's face as she tried to protect everyone, the futility of the battle apparent even to him. Why hadn't Hinata simply fled and saved herself? She actually wasn't holding up to poorly in the fight, it was a dirty trick that had done her in.

He stepped out from the shadows and looked up at Hinata's attackers with a terrible face. The two ninja flinched, but did not have time to flee, as Sasuke pulled out his sword from it's sheath and immediately took both of them down.

Sasuke stood rooted to the spot for a few moments, unsure of what to do next. He eyed the trio that was spread out on the ground before him and saw the pained look on Hinata's face. That had been a nasty hit to the neck, he had to admit. He considered the situation before making up his mind about what to do.

Against his normal reasoning, he picked the girl up in his arms. He didn't want her to get hurt again, even though he wasn't sure why. He looked down at the other two and decided he would come back for them later.

It felt weird, cradling someone against his chest like he was. He convinced himself that he was simply protecting the secrets of the Byakuugan...or at least, that was the reason he would give everyone else.

As he moved her to a safer location, he studied her features. She had matured greatly since the last time he had seen her, and well...she just looked much more like a woman now.

Sasuke spotted a pretty Sakura tree that looked like it would provide some shelter. At least, it was far away from the battle field.

He gently positioned her against the tree and stayed by her for a little until he was sure she was safe. Although he was happy he had been able to get her to safety without being seen, he was still upset that he didn't know why he had saved her. True, he wasn't heartless, but what didn't make sense was the strong urge to not leave her, even now. He wanted to shelter the delicate girl before him, no matter the cost.

* * *

When Hinata awoke, she was very startled. She was propped up against a tree, unscathed by any further enemy attacks. Her comrades, apparently breathing and alive, had been carelessly tossed on the grass beside her. She felt something strange in the palm of her hand, and uncurled her fingers. In her hand she found nestled a petal from the Sakura tree above her. She didn't know what to do with it, so she stored it in her pouch. It was a token...a token from somebody that had saved her life.

* * *

Wanted to make that more fluffy but wasn't sure how. lol anyways, hopefully I'll have a new chapter up soon. 


	4. An Impasse

Before you read this chapter, please forgive me for the late update, and also...if I'm a little off on my Sharingan knowledge, sorry! I do have a good excuse for not updating, though. I don't have a computer. lol, so whenever I update, its either from school or the library. Right now I'm missing lunch...annyway, enjoy!

Lurkers beware...

* * *

Hinata released a long held sigh as she slipped into a warm bath. Today had been a long day, that was for sure. 

To start things off, her whole morning was spent revealing the details of the previous night's events. First, she had to explain what happened to an exasperated Naruto and a slightly subdued Sakura. She ommited the information about Sasuke's kiss...after all, it made no sense to her, so why would anyone else understand? Sakura seemed relieved that Sasuke had hesitated slightly at the mention of her name.

As Hinata related the story to Tsunade, it became apparent to her that the fith hokage regarded Sasuke as not human at all. The fact that she was so critical of the Uchiha probably had to do with the fact that she compared him to Orochimaru. Hinata felt very tempted to disclose the information on the kiss as Tsunade threw question after question at her, but she didn't.

Of course, her own team mates had plenty of questions for her as well, since they and Neji were the ones stuck looking for Sasuke. Despite the fact that two Byakugans, two powerful noses, and a swarm of bugs searched the parameters of the village, no trace of Sasuke could be found.

The hunt for him lasted from noon until well into the evening, and a starving Kiba demanded that the heiress take him to dinner.

Hinata, who felt closest to Kiba, did not object but was slightly irritated. She really just wanted to get home and spend some time clearing her head.

And of course, Kiba just HAD to choose to eat a fancy sit down place, which caused her to become on edge. Over the years, she had been able to quell her awkward speech pattern, but whenever she felt awekward she would speak like her old self again.

Thus, the whole meal was full of strangled stutters and minute long pauses.

Kiba smiled and teased her the whole time though, he really was a good friend to her. He even walked her home, which Hinata found a litttle odd. They stopped at the gates of the Hyuga household. Hinata knew it would be viewed as scandalous if she were to bring a boy beyond that point.

"Oi, Hinata..." Kiba began, causing her to turn a questioning gaze towards him.

"I was just wondering, maybe you, that is to say, you and I..." he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I think we should, you know, take it to the next level already". Hinata squeaked as she realized what he was about to do. She paniced and found herself unable to push away, so instead she turned her head to the side, allowing him to kiss her glossy blue hair.

"I'm sorry, Kiba kun. But I just can't" she said, before turning and fleeing into the courtyard, leaving a very startled and rejected Kiba behind her.

And that was how her day had gone.

"That was almos too much to handle" she muttered as she poured some sweet pea bubble bath into the flowing water,

She was feeling a little frustrated that neither her nor Jeji was able to find the Uchiha boy. Now that she was getting older and becoming more skilled with the Byakugan, she was starting to take pride in her work. And failure was unacceptable.

She shut off the faucet as the water rose a little above her body. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the warmth that spread over her.

Thoughts of Kiba's attempted move on her flitted through her mind. She frowned as she recalled the look on his face.

She decided instead to think about Sasuke's kiss. She hadn't really wanted it or expected it, but she had to admit that she really liked it. It was so...mysterious. She smiled a little to herself before, without knowing it, she fell asleep.

Hinata fell asleep thinking of Sasuke. Unfortunately, she woke up to him.

She felt a firm pair of hands shaking her. The water she was immersed in had turned cold, and she felt her skin wrinkle underneath the water.

"Mom...?" she asked blearily, trying to identify the black eyes staring into her pale ones. She blinked a few times, bringing her vision into focus.

"SAS-" She gasped, and she had to cup her own hand over her math to avoid screaming. Hinata looked at her form quickly and thanked God that the bubbles covered almos everything except her toes that were sticking up.

The Uchiha pulled back, allowing her to calm herself...Which didn't happen.

"W-What the h-Hell are you d-doing in here?" she asked.

The embarassed, incompetent sputtering erupted from her in sporatic bursts.

"What-why-naked?" were among the words that came flying out of her mouth.

"I'm going to wait outside" he said, awkwardly edging out of the bathroom. She wanted to object, but was too flustered to do so.

She debated for a moment on what to do next. She wasn't sure if she should head out the other door in the bathroom and run or stay put. But then she remembered Naruto's exasperated face. He had been vert upset that Hinata had not tried to stop Sasuke or tried too reason with him, and she didn't feel like letting him down again.

Gathering up her courage, which she was running very low on at the moment, she released the drain and stepped out of the tub. She dried up with the pink towel on the counter and quickly threw on her Mogeta pajamas (A/N: Fruits Basket! XD). Picking up her comb, she quickly ran it through her hair and clipped her bangs back. She disliked hacing those heavy bangs in her face while her hair was wet.

Hinata took a few deep breaths before pushing open the bathroom door and walking into her spacious bedroom. She looked around for a minute and didn't see Sasuke. Cautiously, she approached the end of her bed. It was extremely dark in the room, and she could barely see the outline of her bed. When she did find it, she heard a soft _whump!_ before a small lamp on her bedside table clicked on.

She supressed yet another scream as she looked at a smirking Sasuke beside the lamp, sitting cross legged amidst her fluffy purple pillows. If Hinata wasn't so shaken from the bath escapades, it would have been funny.

"Where did you come from?" she mouthed.

He chuckled a little and pointed at the ceiling.

"I came to talk, Hyuga. Sit down, we have a lot to discuss" he said smugly.

Hinata thought it hardly fair that the intruder was dictating the terms of the visit, but she said nothing. Instead, she sar in a chair at a nearby desk, silently dreading what would happen if anyone were to come in and check on her.

"I h-have a l-lot of questions for you...Sa-Sasuke san" She said. Considering his position in the village right now, he hardly had the right to be called san. But she decided to call him that anyway because she knew kun was an endearing term Sakura used to adress him. She already felt like she had crossed enough lines with Sakura, even if Sasuke didn't know it.

"First of all...why in the world d-did you walk in when I was-" she choked on the word naked.

"I didn't mean to. Like I said before, I needed to talk to you about something. I looked for you in your room, but you were in the tub. I waited for you for a while, but I thought you had drowned" he explained.

"Also, you're lucky I was even here in the first place. Somebody like Kiba, who was actually trying to sneak in before I scared him off, may have handled the situation differently" He said.

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. Had he really tried to do that?

"Honestly, Hyuga, what kind of idiot falls asleep in the bathtub?" he asked, flustered.

"I-its not my fault! I was very t-tired, I spent all day looking for you!" she exclaimed.

"So I noticed..." he said.

"I had bugs following me all day. Kiba's lucky his dog didn't manage to piss on me, though, or I probably would have showed myself. Anyways, how many people did you talk to about what happened?" He shot at her.

"Only the people who matter" she responded.

"Did you tell anyone about the er...kiss?" he asked awkardly.

"No" She said quietly.

"Good, because I don't know why I did it myself"

Hinata was confused about the rejection she felt as he said that.

"What did you want to ask me about?" She asked, breaking the awkward silence that was hanging in the hair.

"This" he said, reaching into the folds of his shirt and removing a small scroll. He unfurles the scroll on the bed and beckoned her to come over. She did, and after examining the scroll, turned a pair of very wide eyes towards Sasuke.

"If you remember, Hinata" (Hinata was surprised at the casual mention of her name. Even though he had said it before, it made her feel strange inside) "Naruto's most commonly used technique was one that he learned from a forbidden scroll in the Hokage's mansion"

"So then, is that from-?"

"Yes" Sasuke said shortly.

Well, that would explain why they hadn't found him. They weren't allowed to search the Hokage's property.

"While I was with Orochimaru, I heard him talking to Kabuto about a forbidden technique hidden in the leaf. Of course, he never got near the scroll. Supposedly, though, this technique allows those with Ocular ninjutsu to take their skills to a level higher than even your eyes, Hinata" Sasuke said.

Hinata lit up. "So, you've found a way to defeat Itachi?" She asked.

"Exactly. And I need your help" Sasuke said.

* * *

Whew! Finally, it only took me 3 DAYS to type all this out. (30 min lunches) I hoped you like it, and forgive me for any typos, I don't feel like revising right now.

Hopefully the next update won't take so long.

Please review if you can! D


	5. Arrangements

Before you read this chapter, I would just like to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed. The reviews really help me to keep writing. I'm proud to say that I finally have some idea about how I want this story to go...although I'm not sure if I want the mood to be more dramatic or more humorous. It really depends on Sasuke...should he be a jerk or lighten up a little? Hmm...well, anyway, here you go!

* * *

"H-Help you? But what do you need my help for?" Hinata asked, confused. 

"The mastery of this technique requires a very broad knowledge of eye ninjutsu. I already know a lot about eye ninjutsu from my Sharingan...but the Byakugan has always surpassed the eyes of the Uchiha" Sasuke said.

Hinata sat there for a moment, not sure of what to say next. He needed her help...but why should she help him? It would be frowned upon by almost everyone in the village, not to mention how her family would react if they were to find out. Still...Naruto and Sakura...

"I-If I was to help you and you were able to k-kill your brother, what would you do next?" Hinata asked, meeting his eyes.

"I don't know yet. I've never really thought about it..." Sasuke said, trailing off.

"Then, if I help you, would you come back and stay in the village? At least for a little while?" Hinata asked, her eyes pleading.

"Thats probably not going to happen. Besides, even if I were to come back, how do you think I'd be welcomed?" Sasuke replied, breaking away from her penetrating gaze.

"At the very least, please just talk to your team. They've missed you so much! If you don't come back...Naruto-kun...he would break" She said, choking on the last part as she broke down, sobbing. The thought of a shattered Naruto was unbearable.

"Can you really just leave them in so much pain? After how close you've all become?" she asked, reaching out and grabbing his wrist. His eyes shot up and met hers again, but he did not move away.

"I've always looked up to you, Sasuke-san. You're such a wonderful person. That's why I don't understand...Neji- niisan tried to explain it to me. He said you were lost in the darkness. But you have to fight it! Don't give in!" She cried, pulling her hand away. She wiped her eyes in an attempt to stop showing weakness.

Sasuke sat there, quite still. He allowed her to calm herself before he spoke.

"I've always admired you too, Hinata" he said quietly.

Hinata, who was looking down at her comforter, was surprised when she looked up and saw Sasuke leaning forward. She felt her heart race as he wrapped two strong, protective arms around her. He slowly pulled her closer, and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Even though you've never said much, Hinata...you've loved and taken care of everyone so unconditionally" he said.

Hinata closed her eyes, enjoying being in his arms. She sniffed a little bit, her tears not yet completely gone.

"And don't worry. I promise when we're done, I'll meet with them" he said, releasing her.

"Alright, Sasuke-san. Then I promise I'll help you in any way I can."

Sasuke smiled the first genuine smile Hinata had seen. It made her light up inside. All the sadness in her heart was chased away.

"But first..." Hinata said, moving to the head of her bed and snuggling underneath the covers. The thin cotton pajamas didn't provide very good protection against the cold.

Sasuke laughed a little bit, the comforter covered everything but her head. She looked like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

"How can I help?" she asked brightly.

"It will probably take a week and a half to learn this techinique, so..."

"That long?"

"Naruto was able to master his technique in a night because the fox spirit probably helped him"

Hinata thought for a few moments.

"Then we can't train here, can we? Where are we going?" Hinata asked.

"That's the thing...I don't really know. I don't want to bring you around my team mates, and I'm not sure where the best place to practice would be"

"The Hyuga own a summer home in the Ebisu mountains. Maybe that could work?" she suggested.

"That sounds good" Sasuke said, impressed.

"Sounds like a plan. Are we leaving tommorow?"

"If you're ready."

Hinata nodded.

"Goodnight, then" Sasuke said, getting off the bed and heading towards the open window.

"Wait!" Hinata called. Sasuke turned around, the cold night air blowing on his hair and leaving Hinata stunned at how beautiful he was. She sat up as he slowly walked back to her side.

"Yes?" he asked, sitting next to her. Hinata remained silent, bowing her head. Her cheeks were burning with embarassment. There wasn't really anything she wanted to say, she just didn't want him to leave. Suddenly he reached out and tiled her face upward.

"I really wish I understood why" He said. He slowly brought his face towards hers, and Hinata's breath hitched. She was only able to study his handsome features for a few moments before his lips covered hers. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arm around him and deepend the kiss. She couldn't explain it, but she really loved the closesness they were sharing. He pulled back and gently stroked her violet hair.

"Goodnight, Hinata" he said.

Before she could say anything else, he was gone.

* * *

Yay! That was an all out fluff a thon...I didn't mean for it to be that way...but I figured 'What the heck? Give em what they want!' I intend to keep the rest of the story interesting though. Some complications will arise.

Maybe this chapter was so happy because of the stupid valley of the end arc. Everytime I watch it I think 'Sasuke is such an ass to Naruto! Oh but heres why' and I just start crying. It really sucks.

Anyway, I won't be updating for about a week. Sorry, I have finals, and my access to the computer is cut very short. Please review though:D


	6. The journey

Hmm...oddly enough, I've had more access to a computer this week than any other. So lucky for you guys, I have the next chapter.

Oh, and when I wrote this chapter I thought of a rhyme.

_An update a day..._

_Keeps the rabid fans away._

* * *

The next morning Hinata awoke confused and in a daze. She had been dreaming of Sasuke, but she couldn't quite recall what had happened. She remained in bed for a few minutes, trying to make sure that her meeting with Sasuke last night had been real. Unconsciously, her hand moved and rested itself on her lips. She felt a thrill of happiness as she she recalled the second kiss they had shared.

In truth, Hinata had never felt so special before. For the most part, her family regarded her as superfluous, and any boy who had ever wanted her wanted to date her because of her wealth or because of her...developed features. Sasuke made her feel wanted and loved. Which was something she was enjoying getting used to. And the fact that he paid so little attention to other girls made her feel that much better.

Rising from the bed, she headed for the bathroom. After brushing her teeth and her hair, she searched the bathroom for her favorite hair accessory. Fishing through the drawers, she withdrew a black headband encrusted with light purple gems. The headband had been a gift for her Th birthday, which had been a month ago. She pulled her bangs back and placed the headband on. Clear vision would be especially important for the type of training she would be doing.

When she was finished with her grooming, she stepped into her closet, which was massively stocked. Settling on a simple purple tank top and black capris, she headed for the kitchen. Convincing Hiashi to hand over the keys for the summer house...that was going to be a challenge.

Casually, she sat down at the breakfast table and accepted a meal of pancakes and strawberries.

"Thanks, mom" she said, before eying her father, who was quietly eating his eggs.

"Hey, dad?" she asked, causing him to look up.

"I need the keys to the summer home...I've decided I need some more training"

"Training?" he asked, thinking it over. He would love for her to train, she was now starting to become the strong heiress he always wanted.

"Yes, Father. I'll only be gone for about a week or so"

"I suppose you can go..should Neji go with you?"

"No, he's busy with Tenten. I mean, with his team" she recovered, embarrassed.

"I see. Let me get the keys"

Hinata, ecstatic, ran up to the room and began packing. She threw in the essentials, some changes of clothes, and went back into the kitchen and packed some snacks.

Her father walked back into the kitchen and solemnly handed her the keys. He wasn't happy she was going by herself, but she knew she would be fine.

"Thanks, dad. See you, mom"

She hugged both parents before exiting the house and heading for the Hokage's mansion. There, she informed Shizune she would be leaving. If she wasn't a Hyuga, she probably would have been scolded for leaving on such short notice.

It was on her way out that she was cornered by Naruto.

He spotted the heiress and started waving his arms wildly.

"Good morning, Hinata!" he called, before walking over to see what she was up to.

"Where are you going with all that stuff?" he asked, eyeing her stuffed backpack.

"O-Oh I was j-just going to train, that was all" she said.

"Ah, I see. Sounds fun" he said brightly.

"I suppose"

"Hinata...I wanted to apologize for being so upset yesterday. It's not your fault he's gone, and there wasn't anything you could have done" Naruto said gently. placing a hand on her shoulder.

Hinata wanted very much to tell Naruto she would be seeing Sasuke, but she knew she couldn't blow her cover. Instead, she just gave him a warm smile and told him it was OK.

"I guess I better be off. I'm supposed to meet up with Sakura for breakfast. Ja ne!" he said, before turning and walking away.

Hinata took a few moments to steady herself before walking through the gates, alone. It really was scary to be by yourself outside such a huge, protective wall.

Her fears aside, the weather was so...gorgeous. It was spring time, the air was pleasantly cool, and all around her the Sakura trees and flowers were blooming with life and color. Above her, the sky was a pale blue with some scattered clouds here and there.

She walked by herself for a while, enjoying the scenery. It wasn't until she was a safe distance from the village fates that she met up with Sasuke.

He startled her when he dropped out of a tree on her right.

"EEK!" she cried, almost falling over in her shock.

Sasuke grinned, his eyebrows raised.

"You shouldn't be so spacey" he chastised, lightly nudging her shoulder.

"W-Would it k-kill you to show up like a n-normal person?" she asked.

Sasuke suddenly gasped in surprise, causing Hinata to tense up.

"What?" she asked nervously.

"Hinata...I can...see your face again! It's such an honor!" he said mockingly.

"Oh shut up" she muttered, embarrassed.

Sasuke's face turned stoic.

"I'm serious, I really like it." he said, causing her to blush.

"Your nice is showing" she warned.

Without another word, Sasuke began to walk away. Hinata struggled to keep pace, her backpack was really heavy.

Sasuke allowed her to fall behind before sighing and turning around to help her. He pulled the backpack off her shoulder. As he took it from her, something fell on the ground.

Hinata quickly reached down to pick it up, but Sasuke grabbed it before her. It was a little gray hippo, with shining silver eyes.

"What the hell?" he asked, trying not to laugh.

"It's my Hyuga Hippo! Neji-niisan gave it to me when I was little" she said, blushing furiously.

"Why are his eyes all messed up?"

"I colored them in...so his eyes would look like niisan's" she explained.

That was too much fro Sasuke. He couldn't stop laughing at her...it was so...cute.

"Eh, shut up" she said, snatching the hippo from his clutches.

"I brought him so I'd have something to sleep with"

"Hn" Sasuke said, studying her with a pair of amused eyes.

Suddenly his face froze as he picked up on something.

Hinata looked at him questioningly, but before she could ask what was wrong, he had tackled her into a nearby bush, leaving them in a compromising position, with Sasuke pinning her to the ground.

"Wha-?" she began to say, but he covered her mouth with his hand. Rolling off her, he motioned for her to remain silent.

Just then, she heard someone sneeze.

"Down, Akamaru" Kiba's voice said. Hinata's face turned ashen.

"I wish I could get over this cold, boy. I can't smell a thing!"

Akamaru started barking, and Hinata knew he could smell her.

"What's wrong? Its probably just a raccoon. Come on, we have to finish our walk" he said, his voice fading.

Hinata slowly began breathing normally again. 'That was too close' she thought. After a couple minutes of unbearable waiting, Sasuke stood up and told her to follow.

They walked on, not saying much. Since they were now a good distance from the village, the possibility of encountering another ninja was very possible. Occasionally, though, she and Sasuke would talk. Sometimes he would ask about his team mates, but that was rare, the subject was still pretty touchy.

At about lunch time they came upon a town and decided they would assume less conspicuous appearances. An Uchiha and a Hyuga were very likely to be noticed. Hinata transformed into a slender girl with black eyes and black hair, while Sasuke traded his black hair for brown, and made his muscles less noticeable. He smoothed his hair down in the back and changed outfits. Hinata could still recognize him, but no one else would be able to.

The first thing they did was ask a local how far it would be until they reached the mountains.

"By foot?" the man asked, surprised. They nodded.

"Probably about two days" he replied.

Which translated into tonight for them. If they continued to tap into their chakra for speed, they would be able to get their much sooner.

Deciding it would be stupid to try and finish the journey without any food, they decided they should sit down and have lunch. (Hinata's snacks weren't very filling)

Sasuke went and bought some egg rolls and sushi, and they sat down at an outdoor table.

"Thanks" Hinata muttered, before picking up some sushi and munching on it.

"Mhm..." Sasuke said absently, looking at something behind her.

The meal passed in silence, and when they were done, Sasuke once again grabbed Hinata's bag.

"You don't have to" Hinata said, a little embarrassed that he had to help her again.

"I don't mind" he said, and Hinata was once again left empty handed.

Once they were out of town, they changed back to their normal appearances.

When Sasuke re-emerged from among the trees, he gave her a warning.

"There are still people who are after me besides Naruto. If you hear or see anything, let me know" he said.

Hinata felt shivers down her spine, but she just said "Right".

Hours of trekking later, night fell, and the sounds and sights of the night were starting to become menacing. Sasuke wordlessly grabbed her hand, and Hinata gratefully accepted.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they came upon the house. The outside was surrounded by beautiful flowers, and it was located on a hill. Below the hill, and a little while from the base, was a lake.

The backdrop of the house included a forest and the breathtaking mountains. Hinata wearily approached the door, extremely tired. They had left town at 2, it was now 10. After stepping through the doorway, she flicked the lights on. The house, of course, was fully furnished with the most expensive furniture the Hyuga could afford. The house included 2 master bedrooms, 2 small guest rooms, and a large kitchen that was stocked.

Hinata promptly showed Sasuke his room before proceeding into her own. There, she unloaded her things and changed into her pajamas, then heading straight for bed.

No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn't sleep. After an hour of false starts at crunching noise, she got up.

She walked into Sasuke's room, which was across the hall. and stood in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Y-you said p-people were after you, r-right?" she asked.

"Yes. But I doubt they could have found us already" he replied, unconcerned.

"I can't sleep, though. I'm all worried!" she said, bringing a hand to her face.

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He wanted to laugh but knew he shouldn't.

"I'm sleeping in here" she said.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I-it's your fault I'm scared, and I n-need to get my rest." she said.

"What about Hyuga Hippo?" he asked. Hinata chose not to respond.

She fumbled through the dark and got under the covers, her face completely blank.

"I don't scare you?" he asked, forcing his eyes to turn into the Sharingan and examining her.

"No, you don't. You just annoy me"

Sasuke frowned and reverted his eyes back to normal.

"Annoy you, huh? Then why do you like this so much?" he asked, reaching out and cupping her face. Hinata inhaled quickly, but he dropped his hand and rolled over.

"Was that annoying?" he asked, the smirk obvious in his voice.

Hinata laughed lightly and closed her eyes. Smiling, she fell asleep.

* * *

There you go. Hope you liked it! Sorry if it dragged on a little...the next chapters will be more interesting, I promist.

Please review and have a nice day!


	7. Nightmares

I've been writing a lot recently thanks to finals...but it probably won't be like this next week.

Warning: This chapter contains angst!

People were saying they were too ooc...so I tried to make this one more like them? Idk.

* * *

_It was a wonderful day. The sun was shining, the breeze was fine...and she had just seen Naruto._

_"Hinata! Hey!" Naruto said, walking up and greeting her._

_"H...H-hey Naruto kun. W-Whats up?" her 12 year old self asked._

_"Do you want to go on a date with me next week?" _

_Hinata, shocked, nodded vigorously._

_"Great! Later then!"_

The dream shifted to what happened next.

_"N-Naruto kun...a-are you here?" she asked._

_Naruto suddenly swung open the door, his expression dark._

_"I'm sorry, Hinata. We can't go" he said._

_Hinata was frightened. He looked terrible._

_"O-ok...I guess its fine"_

_"That stupid bastard left while I was sleeping! Me and Shikamaru are leaving to get him"_

_"S-Stupid bastard?"_

_"Sasuke. I can't believe this" he said angrily, stalking off._

_The memory blurred and Naruto was standing in front of Hinata, his back turned._

_"Naruto...?" she asked._

_But he wouldn't turn around. No matter what she did, his back was always turned to her. Her date was stolen from her, and she never got the chance again._

_

* * *

_

Hinata shot up, her face pained. Sasuke was gone, she was in the room by herself. Mechanically, she changed into her training outfit. 

Why had she had that dream...? She only had nightmares when something bad was about to happen. That was another trait the Hyuga's had, a keen intuition.

Unease was in her stomach and she couldn't shake it. She guessed it had something to do with Sasuke, and as she sat alone in the kitchen, she felt herself putting up an emotional wall. Getting close to him like she was could be dangerous...look what he had done to his "best friend".

She walked out the front door and activated her Byakugan, looking for Sasuke. She found him down by the lake, and made her way towards him.

* * *

Sasuke hated this. The feelings that he couldn't control. He had simply wanted to use the Hyuga...but somehow, he couldn't help but begin to feel attached and guilty. She was so...innocent. However, he knew once he learned the jutsu, he would leave her and fight Itachi alone. He wasn't sure if he would come back.

Itachi was the thing that was first and foremost in his mind. He couldn't let a girl get in his way.

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her coming down the hill. Composing himself, he turned to face her.

* * *

"Morning, Hinata" Sasuke said, setting down some equipment.

"Morning..." She replied weakly.

Something was wrong with Hinata, that was for sure. But Sasuke didn't know what to say, so he chose not to ask.

"I studied the scroll on our way over here" Hinata said.

"Were you able to understand any of it?"

"Most of it, yes...and i-it seems to me, this technique is going to require a lot of mental c-control. "

"Oh..."

"When you face Itachi, you have to remain c-calm. Otherwise, you won't be able to perform the j-jutsu"

Sasuke froze. He knew she was right...but still...could he really do that?

"I think I s-should show you a genjutsu with I-Itachi. Can you h-handle it?" she asked. She didn't want to do this to him, but she knew she had to.

"Yes. If I want to get out. the key word is lake, ok?"

Hinata nodded and closed her eyes. Thanks to Kurenai, she had learned to cast genjutsu through touch. She built up and illusion in her mind, and focused the chakra in her hand.

Wordlessly, she walked up to Sasuke and touched his forehead.

"Good luck" she whispered.

* * *

Hinata was gone. The noises around the lake had silenced, and time itself seemed to stand still.

Behind him he heard a faint chuckling, and he turned around.

Itachi stood there, smirking.

Anger welled up inside Sasuke and threatened to explode.

'It's just an illusion' he reminded himself.

"Foolish little brother, what are you doing?" Itachi asked.

"Being so light hearted lately...I guess you really don't want to kill me"

"Are you kidding? I live to kill you!" He said, losing himself.

"Good. I guess you won't mind that the girl is dead, then" Itachi said, gesturing to his right.

Hinata lay on the ground, a bloody and mangled mess.

"Wha...? But this is just an illusion!" Sasuke said, panicking.

"Do you really think a girl like that could cast an illusion this powerful?" He asked, stepping closer to Sasuke.

"Stay away!" Sasuke yelled.

"Does she remind you of mother...the way she looks?" Itachi asked, laughing.

"Is that why you act so pathetic around her?"

"I told you to stay away!"

Itachi did not stop his advances. "LAKE!" Sasuke called out, praying he would be rescued.

He was pulled out of the illusion almost instantly, as two gentle hands placed themselves on his arms and sent chakra into him. 

She had only cast a weak illusion of Itachi in his mind. Fear and anger had morphed the rest.

"I'm alright. Do it again" he said.

"But-"

"Do it!" he said angrily. Hinata obliged.

* * *

By the time they were done, it was well into the night. They were both drained, mentally and physically. Sasuke had made some progress, although Hinata knew it probably wasn't enough.

Sasuke practically had to be dragged from the lake, stubbornly he denied the fact he was exhausted. Hinata noted with worry that he had a fever. His forehead was burning up last time she touched it.

Once they were back in the house, Hinata laid him down on the living room couch before bringing in a cold washcloth and some fever reducers. She then busied herself in the kitchen by making soup for Sasuke and a meal for herself.

"Thanks" He mumbled as she brought in some crackers to go with his soup.

Hinata nodded, concern written all over her face.

"I'm so disappointed..." He said, tiredly.

"Why? I-I thought you started doing m-much better..."

"But I need to be ready now! I can't keep messing around! If I can't avenge my family...they'll bever forgive me"

Hinata stopped fidgeting with her hands, she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Do you have any idea what it was like...? I was so happy the morning before he...killed them. My dad was finally starting to recognize me as his son, which was something I always wanted. And then I come home and find everyone dead! I didn't do anything to Itachi. I ran like a coward. I'm still running!" he said angrily, his eyes starting to water. He didn't want to cry, especially not in front of a girl, but his mind was strained and the fever was making his head swim.

"Sasuke...there's nothing you c-could have done. D-do you know of any 9 year old...who could beat h-him?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke closed his eyes, all the frustration building up inside him.

Hinata looked down at him sadly and gently brushed his raven hair out of his eyes.

"Oh S-Sasuke...don't be so hard on yourself" she said, sighing.

She didn't want to let her guard down, but she couldn't help it. He was so upset.

She took his strong hand and held it in her fragile ones.

"Your clan couldm't possibly hold what h-happened against you. N-no one expected what happened"

Sasuke felt himself begin to calm down. His breathing eased and he suddenly realized how tired he was.

"Tommorow we'll work on something different. And if all else fails..."

She reached into her pockets and withdrew a small bottle of pills.

"Kiba t-takes these when he does man beast techniques...to stabilize his mind and feelings. T-They'll work when you fight h-him"

Sasuke examined the bottle for a second, and decided they could work.

"Get some r-rest, Sasuke-san. Y-You're going to n-need it" she said, smiliing. She turned out the lights and decided some music would be nice.

* * *

For those of you who wondered why she didn't give him the pills in the first place, its because its much better to learn to conrtol yourself than taking pills (obviously)

I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review!


	8. Rain

Wow...I was looking at the forums, and apparently my 2 favorite couples of this series are the most hated O.O

Lol.

Um...these chapters might be a bit more brief than their predecessors. Sorry, its just that I want to get started on some new fics and this one kind of lost its fire.

Oh yeah. I don't know if I explained this earlier, but the name of the technique is:

Yuki Me no jutsu

Or, "Eyes of snow"

* * *

In the days that followed after that night, Sasuke and Hinata both felt worn out, but accomplished.

The next step in learning the jutsu was the mastery of the hand signs, which Sasuke picked up with no difficulty thanks to his Sharingan.

What proved to be the most difficult about their practice was preserving chakra. Sasuke would successfully stop an illusion in both his mind and Hinata's, but he would almost immediately collapse from exhaustion. The technique required a very accurate distribution of chakra, and without it, a lot more energy was used than was required.

When Sasuke had performed the jutsu with no major drawbacks, Hinata ran over and hugged him.

"S-Sasuke san...y-you're amazing!" she squealed, extremely happy for the Uchiha.

"T-Thanks..." Sasuke said, averting his eyes from Hinata's shining orbs.

"N-No wonder e-everyone calls you a genius" she said, beaming and breaking away.

"Listen, Hinata..." Sasuke said, nervously rubbing his arm.

_'I have to do it...I have to tell her she can't come with me..."_ he thought bitterly.

"Mmm?" Hinata asked, still smiling.

"Never mind" he said.

* * *

Hinata excused herself and told Sasuke she was going to bed immediately after dinner. While Sasuke had managed to preserve his energy, she herself was extremely tired.

She fell asleep extremely content with herself. A smiling Naruto flashed across her mind as she envisioned Sasuke's return to Konoha. Everyone would be happy again. She just knew it.

* * *

Sasuke stood in the hallway, the clock in the living room showing that it was a few minutes past midnight. A small bag was slung over his shoulder, and a frown was upon his face.

He wanted so badly to tell her what he had to do. But he knew that if he did, she would try to stop him.

"Goodbye, Hinata" he said quietly, before walking out of the house and into the deep, dark forest.

* * *

Rather abruptly, Hinata felt herself snap out of her dreams. Her mind had been filled with wonderful sights of celebration, but in the crowd she noticed something...Sasuke had disappeared.

Tiny beads of sweat were upon her face. Something was wrong...really wrong. Glancing over at the alarm clock, she saw that it read 3 AM.

Fear gripped her and she sprang from her bed, running into the bedroom where Sasuke had slept. There was no trace of him. Sasuke was gone.

_'No.' _She thought. It couldn't be true, it wasn't true.

Not caring that all she was wearing was a cotton spaghetti strap shirt and night pants, she ran out the front door.

A flash of lightening was in synch with her activation of the Byakugan as rain began to fall.

'_Shit, shit, shit!' _She wasn't one for profanity, but this was as if her worst nightmare had come true. She had somehow managed to fail everyone, again.

Her hair flew out behind her as she ran, no, _flew_ through the forest.

"SASUKE!" She yelled, the cry seeming strange to her as it passed her lips. She was sure she hadn't been the first one to call after him like this.

Tears of aggravation swam before her eyes, making it hard to see.

Then she saw it. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could make out four figures. She approached them with haste but caution, careful not to get caught.

She heard Sasuke's voice. Relief flooded through her.

"What took you three so long? I've been waiting for you for at least an hour"

"Sorry, Sasuke-san" an annoying girl with black rimmed glasses said. "It was really hard to find you in this forest"

"Yeah. Couldn't you have picked a location...I don't know, less confusing?" A boy that looked shark-like asked.

The fourth member of the group said nothing. He just looked around absently.

"In any case, I need a second. You guys go on ahead to the lake, I'll meet you there later"

"But, Sasuke-"

"Go" he said sharply, before sitting down on a tree stump. His team grumbled but did as he said. They had little choice.

Hinata, waiting for them to leave, stepped into the clearing once she couldn't see them anymore.

She laughed, a little hysterically. She was happy she found him, yes, but she was still in a state of emotional upheavel. He looked up, his eyes wide.

"Hinata? How did you know I was gone?"

"I had a feeling. But I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised you actually did that to me. After all, you do fake love quite well, don't you?" She said. Her stuttering was gone. Her feelings and words had too much behind them to stutter.

"I wasn't faking anything" he said, as her eyes returned to normal. "I meant everything I did and said."

Thunder clapped overhead, and a new wave of rain crashed down upon them.

"Then why did you leave me?" she demanded, the tears coming back again

"I didn't want you to get hurt" he said simply.

"I can take care of myself, thanks. I would find your words more meaningful if you had said something earlier! But you didn't want to come back to me, did you? You wanted to leave and never come back"

"So what if I hadn't come back? A girl like you only gets hurt by people like me. You can't handle me, Hinata" he said, smirking at her expression.

Sasuke stood from the branch and walked towards her slowly.

"In fact, why did you even want me around in the first place?" he asked.

"Because..." Hinata started, before snapping her mouth shut. She knew the answer but wasn't sure she should say it.

"Why, Hinata?" he asked, stopping a few feet in front of her.

"At first...it was out of my love for Naruto. I was using you, just like you were using me...But Sasuke, I don't want you back for just Naruto's sake now. I love you, Sasuke!"

She said, the tears overflowing as she began to really cry.

"I-I love you so much...thats why it hurts so bad." she said, sobbing.

"Everyday that I've spent with you...has been such a joy. Even with your sarcastic remarks and all your teasing, I've become so attached. But its sad, because I know...you can't...and would never love me...back..."

"I do love you" he said. She met his eyes, which were completely serious.

"Then prove it" She said, expecting nothing.

Sasuke chuckled, a little darkly, before coming nearer and placing one hand behind her neck and one behind her back. He pulled her as close as he could to himself, ignoring the fact she was soaked.

"You asked for it" he whispered, before kssing her with his warm, full lips. She closed her eyes and tried to take him in as thoroughly as he was doing to her. She wrapped her arms around him as he deepened the kiss, both of them disregarding the storm that raged in the forest.

It was the happiest moment of her young life. And she never wanted it to end.

* * *

I was going to leave you guys with a cliffie, but decided against it.

The next chapter might be the last one? Idk, I'll have to figure it out.

I hope you liked it! Please leave a review :P


	9. Rest

This chapter was supposed to be a lot longer, but I wanted to get it to you guys before Valentine's Day. So please enjoy and review, the next chapter will be here soon.

* * *

They stood there, eyes closed and arms securely wrapped around each other, for as long as time allowed.

Sasuke knew his team mates would come looking for him if he didn't meet up with them soon, so he was the first to break away from the embrace.

"I guess you plan to come with me to face Itachi, then?" Sasuke asked, his face full of concern.

"I- I can't stay behind while you fight someone that p-powerful. I w-won't" she said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Sasuke sighed. "Just be careful…if anything happens to you, I'll never forgive myself"

Hinata nodded. The only real harm that could be done to her was through Sasuke. If he was in pain, she would be in pain, too.

A cold wind blew through the forest, sending droplets of rain across Hinata's face. She shivered a little, her body already freezing from the wet clothes and hair that clung to her body.

Sasuke noticed her discomfort and observed that he too was soaked. He had no dry clothes to give her, so instead he placed one strong arm under her legs and heaved her upwards.

Hinata let out a cry of surprise as he pulled her against his chest. Sasuke either didn't notice or didn't care about the objective spluttering that followed his actions.

"You're going to catch a cold, Hinata. Just let me carry you" he ordered.

'_Let me carry you…'_ she mused as she closed her eyes .She grabbed onto the front of his shirt and snuggled closer to him, enjoying the heat radiating off his body.

The rain began to let up as they drew closer to team Hebi. Sasuke said nothing to Hinata, allowing her to rest. He noticed the grip on his shirt slacken as she drifted off to sleep and he grinned to himself after seeing her face. She looked so peaceful. As crazy as it seemed, he was happy she felt so safe.

"Sasuke kun!" he heard Karin call. She came sprinting up to him and appeared surprised when she noticed Hinata's limp body. She was about to question him, but quieted after receiving one of his famous glares.

"I'll explain later. Where are we headed after we get the other idiots?" he asked.

"Me and Suigetsu were able to locate Itachi earlier this week while you were away. He isn't far from here, but we need to rest first, so we rented a room at a local inn for tonight" Karin explained.

Sasuke felt his hands tighten. He wanted to fight Itachi _now_.

At his clench, he felt Hinata shift against him. He blushed when he heard her mutter

"Sasuke…"

'_Whoa. Is she dreaming about me?' _

Sasuke sighed. He would wait to fight Itachi. For her.

Karin's face clouded in anger at the scene they presented, but she knew better than to say anything.

They reached Suigetsu and Juugo, and after Karin explained the situation to them, team Hebi set off for the inn.

Sasuke chose to ignore Suigetsu's perverted insinuations when he saw Hinata. Juugo didn't say much, but Sasuke noticed him staring at one point during the journey.

The innkeeper apparently thought it best not to question the team when they showed up at his place of business, drenching his carpet and causing his customers to feel uncomfortable. He handed Sasuke they keys with a smile, and stared at Karin's chest a little longer than was allowed.

"Where am I supposed to go, Sasuke? I was going to sleep with you!" Karin complained, after flirting with the innkeeper. Meiko was his name, she discovered.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. _'Oh, you would have liked that, wouldn't you?'_ Sasuke thought darkly.

"Just tell Suigetsu to sleep in a toilette or something. Figure it out on your own" he said, leaving her to pout.

Someone in the hallway assisted him by opening the door so he didn't have to set Hinata down, and Sasuke thanked the man before the door closed behind him.

He had to admit, it was a pretty cozy looking room. All the furniture was oriental style, and a lot of beautiful paintinga hung from the walls.

Sasuke decided that he was too tired to care about sleeping with Hinata again, and after tucking her in, he slipped in beside her. She barely stirred throughout the whole process, and when everything was dark, he allowed himself to rest.

"Goodnight, Hinata" he whispered into the night. He brushed some damp hair out of her face before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

Like I said, sorry its short, but I wanted to deliver the fluff before tommorow.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

My advice to all of you out there...go for it! I certainly am.


	10. Homecoming

Yay! Spring break is here! (for me at least) and so is the last chapter of this story! I'm really sorry for the slow update. I had this written for a while but I never got around to typing it. My school blocked this website...which is...ridiculous, really.

In any case, I hope you enjoy the last chapter of this story, and check out some of my other SasuHina that I'm writing!

* * *

Sasuke and Hinata awoke in a rather compromising position. When Hinata's pale eyes fluttered open, she felt a light pressure on her check and noticed Sasuke's hand was resting there. He had unconsciously moved closer to her during the night, and she felt their legs touching. She blushed and softly nudged his shoulder. He apologized when he became aware of their situation and he quickly rolled off the bed.

He staggered as he got to his feet, and Hinata saw he wasn't wearing his shirt. After Sasuke noticed her staring at his rather exposed figure, he smirked.

"Like what you see?"

Hinata simply squeaked and ducked further under the covers.

Sasuke threw a shirt on and was about to leave the room when Hinata stopped him.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she sat up in the bed.

"To get you some clothes. I'll be right back"

Hinata then remembered she was still wearing the dirty night gown and thanked him.

'How embarrassing' she thought in dismay.

The door slammed shut behind Sasuke, and the room was silent. She looked at the bedside clock and was relieved to see that it was only 8.

She thought that eating breakfast was the wisest thing to do, being that team Hebi would likely be stalking Itachi for a majority of the day. Shephoned the lobby and requested that a meal be brought to her room. The cook reported that everything would be ready in half an hour, so Hinata proceeded to take a shower.

She got dressed in the complimentary bath robe and nightgown and waited patiently for Sasuke on the couch. She could hear the bustling sounds of morning and the hallway and closed her eyes in content.

When the crepes arrived, she began to eat them by herself in the kitchen and was surprised when one was suddenly snatched off her plate.

She gazed up at Sasuke and smiled. He was holding two expensive looking multi colored bags, and each had the name _couture _on the side.

"I thought you didn't like sweets"

"I'm starting to look at things differently" was all he said in response. He placed the bags at her feet and sat down across from her at the table.

Hinata washed her sticky hands before returning to search the bags.

"Y-you didn't have to buy me such expensive c-clothes" she stammered, before removing the contents of the first bag.

It wasn't that Hinata was unused to being treated like a princess, she just didn't expect such things of Sasuke.

"Hn" Sasuke said, grabbing an apple out of the basket of fruit on the table.

Hinata gasped at the beautiful silver top and the cute black skirt she found. She was a little afraid of what the other bag would hold.

When she looked inside all she saw was a shoe box.

Curious as to what kind of shoe he had gotten her at a high fashion clothing store, she slowly and carefully slid open the lid.

The shoes she found made her break into a wide smile.

"S-Sasuke…th-they're beautiful" she said softly.

She gently picked up one of the light purple ballet shoes and turned it over in her hands. The material they were made of felt odd, and Hinata realized they had been infused with chakra to prevent them from wear and tear.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed happily, clutching the shoe and trying not to cry. It was so sweet.

"I figured that with your fighting style, that type of shoe would allow you to move a lot more freely" Sasuke said, avoiding her elated face as he glanced out the window.

"I-I'm going to go change…" Hinata said, before heading into the bathroom.

She threw her hair into a pony tail before getting dressed. The clothes were even more stunning once she had them on.

She slowly walked out of the bathroom, unsure of how Sasuke would react to how she looked.

The effect was instantaneous.

Hinata barely registered what was happening as she was gently pushed against the wall and assailed with kisses.

"You look so beautiful" he whispered softly. Hinata felt the heat rise in her face as he kissed her on the lips rather deeply.

When he finally released her, she was breathless but happy.They left the room and returned the key in the lobby.

"W-Where is the rest of your team?" Hinata asked as they approached the inn doors.

"That's a good question. They were supposed to be looking for Itachi."

Almost as if on cue, Karin's shrill scream issued from outside.

"Come" Sasuke said suddenly, grabbing Hinata's hand and yanking her through the front doors.

Karin wasn't there. Someone else was.

"Itachi" Sasuke breathed.

Instinctively, Hinata activated her Byakugan and made sure that the Itachi standing before them was real.

He was, and she noticed that behind Itachi, team Hebi was fighting Kisame in the forest.

"Sasuke, y-your team is in trouble!" Hinata cried. She saw Karin fall and Suigetsu slash at Kisame.

Sasuke stared ahead, obviously unaware of anything but Itachi.

"A Byakugan…how interesting….is she your new toy, Sasuke? A tool?" Itachi asked, as he slowly raised a hand. Hinata looked at the ring on his finger and immediately felt a plummeting sensation in her stomach.

Sasuke laughed.

"She knows what she is. Useful, but dispensable"

"Then why don't you get rid of her?"

Sasuke turned around to face Hinata and slowly unsheathed the sword at his hip.

Hinata's breathing became heavy, but she found herself incapable of moving even an inch. Fear and shock at what was happening paralyzed her.

"Goodbye, Hinata, trash of the Hyuga" Sasuke said in a soft voice.

His arm arched backwards before plunging into her stomach.

Hinata sank to the ground as Sasuke viciously wrenched the sword out.

She clutched the wound and emitted a scream. A scream of disbelief, pain, and confusion.

Hinata fell on her side and felt her vision became blurry. She wasn't going to live. This was the end.

'_I'm sorry, Naruto, everyone. I tried the best I could…_

_I guess I can't do anything right._

_Sasuke…I really did…love…you'_

Hinata's eyes closed. The world became black, and she saw no more.

-

Hinata felt heavy. Her body was weak.

Yet she realized…

"I'm…alive" she slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was sitting in a white hospital room.

"Hinata" Sasuke's voice suddenly called.

Hinata shrank back and put her hands up in fear when Sasuke attempted to touch her.

"You…h-how?"

Hinata was crying, she thought he was going to hurt her.

"Hinata…I'm so sorry. He captured you in an illusion when you looked at his hand"

"If it was an illusion…why am I all bandaged up?"

One of her eyes had been coveredin gauze, and there was a severe puncture wound in her stomach.

"I'm sorry about that too. I couldn't protect you. After you became trapped in the illusion, he attacked"

Sasuke looked at the ground, ashamed.

"I was so scared…I thought you were going to die" he said quietly.

"Its not your f-fault…b-but, were you able to kill him?" she asked.

He nodded grimly.

"Yes. The body was destroyed by local anbu, and they healed you before I hauled you into the emergency room"

Sasuke reached to her and gently stroked her cheek, where there were still some tears.

"I was so upset, Hinata. I wouldn't have been able to stand losing you…"

Hinata smiled.

"I'm glad you care about m-me so m-much… Sasuke" she said.

The door to the room swung open, and all Hinata saw was one thing….

Orange.

"N-Naruto kun!" Hinata exclaimed. He had a stuffed animal of some sort in his hand.

Sasuke groaned. News spread fast, that was for sure.

They were in Sungakure because the nearest hospital was there. Obviously, Gaara or someone had let Naruto know Sasuke and Hinata were in his village.

Hinata saw Sakura too, and Sakura smiled at her.

Naruto pretended at first not to notice Sasuke.

"The Kazekage told us you showed up in critical condition, Hinata chan. Me and Sakura just wanted to visit to make sure you were ok" Naruto said, handing her what turned out to be a stuffed fox.

"Th-Thank you" Hinata said

"I see you still dress completely opposite of stealthy, Naruto"

"And I see your still the same jerk as ever"

"Dobe!"

"Asshole!"

Sakura laughed lightly and walked over to Hinata.

"Shino and Kiba wanted me to tell you they're sorry they couldn't come. They're on a mission right now" Sakura explained.

Hinata then became a little worried.

"You two d-didn't tell the hokage I was with S-Sasuke, did you?" she asked nervously.

"No, we didn't. I did make her promise, though, that if I happened upon Sasuke and he comes home he won't be penalized" Naruto said.

Hinata looked at Sasuke to gouge his reaction.

"Go home, huh? Back to 'Believe it!' every day and Sakura's emotional outburst?" Sasuke mused quietly.

The room was silent, allowing him to continue.

He looked directly at Naruto.

"I'll come home. I've accomplished what I set out to do. Now that the past is behind me, I can finally start to look"

Sasuke paused, and looked directly at Hinata

"To the future"

* * *

SPOILER

SPOILER

SPOILER

Ok, so who read chapter 393? I almost wanted to cry.

END SPOILER

You've finished reading? REALLY?

Smile

Then that must mean, surely you're going to-

window is closed

NOOO! ME AND CLUCKY WILL AVENGE YOUUUUUUUUUUU!


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